Tending to the Horse

The image of human hands busily covering or binding in floral cloths a horse positioned on its back like a baby, is one of a number of works which suggest an interaction between human and nonhuman that may just as likely be about kindness as cruelty. This image reflects my concern with the inconsistent relationship between humans and the nonhuman world, one moment reverence and closeness, the next, complete disregard. The decorative nature of the work, the gold paint and the elegance of the figures, alludes to traditions of art image - Japanese prints and Indian miniatures, for instance - where even the bloodiest scenes are rendered with great elegance. It is a device I enjoy as a means of trickery to disguise and then sharpen the edge of the narrative.